


Belonging

by Megara09



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Mild Smut, Miscommunication, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:40:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22689394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megara09/pseuds/Megara09
Summary: Pinch hit prompt fill for the RFFA:Friends-with-benefits except whoops I'm in love with you now and hate seeing you flirt with other people because we're technically not together. (accidental pregnancy would be great here but only if you're comfortable with that)
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 12
Kudos: 152
Collections: For one is both and both are one in love: The Reylo Fanfiction Anthology's Valentine's Day Exchange





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bitterbones](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitterbones/gifts).



> The title is garbage because my brain is dead. Will probably be changed eventually. 
> 
> *To make them childhood friends without Ben being all creeper, I changed the age difference to four years instead of nine.*
> 
> I really hope I did this prompt justice!

“I’m sorry, you want to _what?”_ Ben’s incredulous voice bellowed.

Rey shushed him, looking around in paranoia, but the cafeteria was bustling as usual - nobody even glanced their way. Maybe, Rey thought wryly, they were just used to Ben’s loud voice. “I _said,_ I want to find a fuck buddy.”

Ben’s mind was still stuck on seeing Rey’s lips forming such a dirty word, but he soon caught up to the repeated words as a whole. “But…why?” he asked.

Rey rolled her eyes. “For the usual reason. Mutual pleasure without the tangle of emotions. I just started engineering classes; I can’t be catching feelings and losing focus!”

Ben sat for a few moments in silence, letting himself process everything. Finally, he tentatively asked, “Who would you ask?”

“There’s the problem!” she cried softly, throwing her hands in the air. “I can’t ask anyone in my class, so that rules out a few candidates. I don’t think I could bring myself to ask Finn or Poe - I just don’t think of them that way. And I...sort of have high standards.”

With a snort and quirked brow, Ben motioned her to continue.

Rey sat back in her seat and tangled her hands together in abject discomfort. “Well...cleanliness is a must. B.O. is a no,” she rhymed. Settling into it now, she continued, “And it can’t be just a pretty face; there has to be some sort of brain in there. And they have to have their own place. I live in the dorm, and there’s no way I’d bring someone back there, let alone go to the mens’ dorms.”

As she continued to list her requirements, Ben cursed himself for mentally ticking the boxes she was rattling off...for himself. He wasn’t in the engineering program; he was fastidiously clean, almost to a fault; while he wasn’t a genius, he liked to think he was fairly intelligent; and, best of all, he lived off campus in a one-bedroom rental home. 

But, Ben knew, she would never ask him. They’d known each other for years - longer than she’d known Finn or Poe. If she didn’t see them as potential lovers, there was no way she’d see him as - 

Ben choked. “What?!” When Rey looked at him blankly, he said, “Repeat that last part back to me. I think I misheard.”

Rey blushed. “I said that I didn’t think you would ever agree, so I started looking around. Why? I mean...you would have said no, right?”

Holding up a finger to show that he was thinking, not ignoring her, Ben took a moment to actually think about it. On the one hand, it was a decent agreement - Rey wanted sex and companionship without the messy tangles of an exclusive relationship. But on the other hand…

Well, Ben had to admit to himself that he had been halfway in love with Rey for years. Four years older, he’d been eighteen when Rey had begun to lose her coltish, boyish figure. He’d felt like an absolute pervert for taking an interest in how Rey’s body began to fill out, so he’d stayed away as much as he could. Rey had been seventeen before he came back around for any length of time, and he’d been blown away by just how much she had changed. 

Gone were the childish buns she’d once sported. Her hair was now shoulder length and left mostly loose. She was taller than he imagined she would be, and had more curves than he expected. Along with her English accent - a holdover from being adopted from the UK - and her wicked sense of humor, Ben was a goner. 

But now, Rey was nineteen and apparently looking at Ben the way he had tried to avoid looking at her for the last two years. 

Finally, he lowered his hand and asked simply, “Why me?”

Rey shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “Why not? I know you, you’re not going to hurt me or be mean to me. I know you’ll take care of me. And Ben, let’s face it, you’re the hottest guy I’ve seen around campus.”

Ben snorted in disagreement at that claim, but Rey ignored it. 

“If you say no, I’ll completely respect it and not mention it again. I promise I won’t be offended,” Rey said sincerely. 

And Ben knew she would keep her word. But...was Ben ready to see her with someone else when he knew he could have been with her instead? 

Short answer? No. 

Taking a deep breath, Ben gave a sharp nod of his head. Even as Rey cheered and reached across the table to squeeze his hand in thanks, Ben wondered what the hell he’d just agreed to. 

.

#######

.

When Rey showed up for their first...time....she appeared to be just as nervous as Ben was inside. She was fidgety and blushing, eyes darting to everything except for Ben himself. Finally, after the third time of Rey jolting when Ben reached for his drink on the coffee table, he turned in his seat and faced her. 

“Look, this is crazy. If you’re uncomfortable, we can just not do this. I don’t want to lose my friend because of any awkwardness.”

Rey took in a shuddering breath, turning to face him, and gave a wan smile. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but it’s a lot different to be here for...that...than to be here for hangout night with you.”

Ben shrugged. “Then let’s just hang out until anything else happens. It doesn’t have to happen tonight, Rey. Or any night that starts out as a booty call.” Ben ignored her snorted laughter. “My point is, we can still just hang out. I don’t want you to ever be uncomfortable here.”

When Rey nodded, Ben settled back into his place on the couch. A moment later, he was taken aback by Rey putting her hand on his thigh. The heat from her small hand seemed to seep through his pants, and Ben’s throat suddenly went dry. 

After a few moments, Rey sighed and began to draw her hand away. Ben’s hand darted down and pressed gently against hers as he swallowed tightly and said, “It’s fine. You can leave it.”

Rey had grown worried that Ben had changed his mind, and she had decided to simply move back into their normal spaces on the couch. His reaction told her that maybe....maybe he wanted this, too. 

Rey had honestly not expected Ben to agree to their arrangement. She’d hoped, of course, that he would say yes, but she had tried to keep her expectations low. To be sitting here, now, her hand nearly in Ben’s crotch as they tried not to be awkward, blew Rey’s mind. 

With the realization that she could do this - she could _touch_ him - Rey grew bolder. Her hand squeezed Ben’s thigh where it rested, then trailed a bit further upward. Ben hissed and tensed, but the look on his face was far from displeased. 

A cat-like smirk crossed Rey’s face as her fingers brushed the inseam of Ben’s jeans and felt the sudden twitch of his penis. She palmed the hardening flesh through denim, then suddenly felt the need to remove that barrier. 

“Ben,” she said softly, “let’s go to your room.” Her hand trailed up from his waist to his chest, then down his arm to grasp his hand.

When she stood and tugged on his hand, Ben followed, stumbling along dumbly as he tried to catch up with what was happening. Rey’s fingers tangled with his own as she led him to his own bedroom. She stopped in the doorway, suddenly unsure, but Ben had finally caught up with the situation. 

He spun her with the hand still holding his own, pushing her gently against the doorjamb as he leaned down to press his lips against hers. Rey froze at the first contact, and Ben pulled away. “Okay?” he asked. 

Rey debated for a moment - she’d originally not wanted to allow kissing, since it seemed so personal, but there was no way she would say no to Ben Solo Organa’s kisses - and finally nodded. As Ben leaned down once more, she wound her fingers into his shaggy black hair and held on for dear life. 

She swore the world spun on its axis as Ben kissed her, alternating between slow, drawn-out kisses and sharp nips to her bottom lip. When his tongue brushed her bottom lip, Rey involuntarily let out a moan as she gladly opened to deepen the kiss. 

Ben was sure he had died and gone to heaven. Who knew that kissing Rey could be this great? Unwilling to break the kiss but wanting to get to a flat surface before things progressed anymore, Ben reached down and grasped Rey’s thighs, lifting her so he could carry her to the bed. The angle of the kiss shifted as he did so, and Rey’s legs tightened around his waist as her hips began to move against him. 

As they reached the bed, Ben tried to kneel on the mattress so he could lay her closer to the middle. But Rey slid her tongue into his mouth and tugged lightly at his hair, and lightning streaked through his body. With a sharp moan, he tumbled forward, barely catching his weight on his elbows in order to not crush Rey under him. 

“Shit,” he breathed, “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

Rey laughed and tugged his hair again, grinning when he moaned and shifted his hips. “Good to know,” she said mischievously. “I’m fine, now kiss me again.”

Ben felt a flutter in his heart at her words as he leaned down to do as she bid. They kissed for several minutes, growing steadily more aroused. Finally, Ben reared back with a wild look in his eyes and all but growled at her, “Naked. Now.”

Heat flared inside her at the knowledge that _she_ had done this, reduced this man to a growling, guttural mess. Rey sat up and reached for the hem of her shirt, tugging it overhead and tossing it to the side as Ben did the same with his own. Her pants were more of a struggle, but Ben’s impatience to have them off of her had him brushing her hands away and tugging them down himself. As he pulled them down her long legs, Rey heard him curse under his breath. She grinned. 

Red was his favorite color, and she had come prepared. Her red bra wasn’t much to look at, just fabric and a bit of lace to spice it up. But her underwear was a different story. Lace covered her crotch, barely hiding the flesh from his view, while straps and ribbons ensured the lace stayed put. A small ribbon bow at the front of the underwear made Ben feel like it was Christmas and Rey was the present he couldn’t wait to open.

As Ben took in the whole ensemble, his vision went black for a moment as all of his blood rushed south. He cursed even as he praised every god he could think of. Once her jeans were off her legs, he tossed them to the side and stared hungrily at Rey’s body. His hands quickly followed the trail his eyes had first blazed, relishing the soft feel of her skin. 

A moan escaped Rey as Ben’s large, warm hands caressed her skin. He trailed fingertips across the tops of her breasts, grinning when goosebumps prickled her skin. Those long fingers continued to draw invisible shapes and paths across Rey’s skin, tantalizing her and stoking the flames that licked at her inside. 

Unwilling to let herself be the only one being driven crazy, Rey brought her hands up to rest on Ben’s wide shoulders. One trailed upward and back into his hair, while the other made its way down his chest, stopping to circle his nipple before simply caressing the expanse of his torso. 

Ben laughed at her teasing of his nipple, bending down to kiss her once more as he allowed his fingers to finally brush over Rey’s nipple. Noticeably more sensitive than Ben’s, Rey’s breath caught at the motion as the skin puckered and hardened under his touch. He palmed the whole breast, then, and began to kiss down her neck. His mouth was hot as it left open-mouthed kisses down her neck, across her collarbone, and down to her other breast. When his lips closed over the hardened nipple, Rey cried out and caught his head with both hands, fingers clutching his hair tightly. 

The feeling of his tongue and lips on her sensitive skin was the best sort of torture, and when his teeth gently tugged at nipple, Rey thought she would explode then and there. “Ben!” she cried out, unable to stop the unconscious movements of her lower body. 

Ben let his right hand drift from her breast and ghost down her torso. He stopped at her underwear, playing with the bow on the front before he finally slid his hand between her thighs and cupped her heated core. He cursed, resting his forehead against her breastbone for a moment as he fought back the urge to fall on her like a ravening animal. The whole situation still had him somewhat off-kilter, but Ben had been fantasizing about Rey since she’d shown up at his university months prior, finally at an age where he didn’t feel like a creep for wondering if her skin was as soft as it looked and whether or not she tasted like sunshine. 

(She did.)

For however long Rey wanted to let this be a thing, Ben intended to play out every one of those fantasies. The first one, he decided, was to drape her legs over his shoulders and eat her out until she came on his face. 

Ben shuddered and moved quickly, not wanting to waste anymore time. Rey tried to stop him, to bring his head back to her breasts, but she quickly understood where he was headed. With a low moan, Rey stopped pulling at his head and began subtly pushing it, bringing a grin to Ben’s face. 

He wiggled his way awkwardly down the bed, cursing again when he realized he was too fucking tall to lay on the bed and still be able to do what he wanted. Inspiration struck and he reached up to grab a pillow, tossing it to the floor at the foot of the bed. He knelt on the edge of the bed and grasped Rey under the knees, tugging her whole body down the bed to meet him. 

She opened her mouth to question him, but he moved to kneel on the floor and tugged her the rest of the way to the foot of the bed, and she let her head fall back as he draped her knees over his shoulders and leaned forward. 

She nearly screeched when he bypassed her core and instead began to nuzzle at her inner thigh, close enough to feel his warm breath where she wanted him most. “Ben!” she protested, tugging at his hair again. 

Ben laughed, kissing her thigh before taking mercy on her and moving closer. He pressed his mouth to the lace that hid her clit from him, wetting the fabric for a moment before pulling back to gently scrape his teeth across it. Rey cried out again, and suddenly Ben couldn’t stand the barrier between them any longer. He pushed her legs up and quickly stripped the underwear from her body. Something ripped as he tugged and pulled at the fabric, but Ben didn’t care. He would buy Rey a dozen more in repayment, but right now he needed them _gone._

As soon as her flesh was bare, Ben wasted no time in diving between her thighs in a whole-hearted attempt to _devour_ her. After her initial shocked reaction - a shriek and hands trying to force his head back - she settled into the divine sensations that his mouth was creating. 

“Oh, kriff, Ben, so good,” she babbled, legs quaking as her head tossed on the mattress. It didn’t take long for her to feel overwhelmed and at the very edge of her release. “Ben, please,” she begged.

Ben was lost in the scent and taste and heaven that was Rey. He had never before been so enthusiastic about going down on women - though he did enjoy it, enjoyed their reactions - but now he was a changed man. He vowed to go down on Rey as much as she would allow him to, sure in his thought that he would never get enough of her. When Rey cried out his name in a plea, he took some mercy on her and slowly pushed a digit inside of her. Her inner muscles clenched and rippled around it as her whole body stiffened and shuddered. When he felt a new rush of wetness around his finger, he realized that she had come. 

“Oh, fuck, Rey,” he groaned, biting his lower lip as he coaxed her through it. When she had calmed somewhat, Ben loomed over her. “Scoot up,” he demanded. 

Blissed out and boneless, it took Rey a moment to maneuver back to the head of the bed. As she did so, Ben reached into the drawer beside the bed and pulled out a condom, quickly sheathing himself. Once she’d made it up the bed, Ben wasted no time in settling between her thighs and pressing his lips to hers once more. His cock rested along the seam of her, gliding wetly as he subtly rocked his hips against hers. “Are we still good?” he asked suddenly. “You haven’t changed your mind?”

“Ben! If you don’t fuck me _right now,_ I will...I will- Ohhhh!” Rey’s threat was cut off by Ben shifting against her, pulling back to guide himself into her. As he sank inside, Rey moaned at the feeling of being stretched, of his cock filling her the brim and then some. 

Ben hissed and rested his head on the pillow under Rey’s head, taking a moment to fight back the overpowering urge to come then and there. 

When he felt like he could actually move without losing it, Ben leaned up and stared down at Rey. Her eyes were closed, her lips were parted, and there was an expression on her face that Ben couldn’t quite place. Pain? Pleasure? A mix of the two?

She answered the unasked question a moment later, cracking open an eye and glaring at him. “Are you going to move now?” she asked piquishly, her tone saying that he better get a move on. 

Ah. Exasperation, then. Ben tried to hide the small smile at her tone, burying his face in her neck as he slowly withdrew from her body and just as slowly pushed back in. After a few of the glacier-slow thrusts, Rey made an impatient noise and bucked her hips, calling out his name in demand.

God, he was never going to get tired of hearing his name on her tongue in that way. But in order to hear it more...he needed to show her that he could give her what she wanted. With that in mind, Ben reared up again. Kneeling now, he grasped Rey’s hips and hefted them higher on his thighs, changing the angle of penetration and taking more control. Rey gasped at the sudden change, both in Ben and the position they’d been in. She watched his face go from content to determined, and she quickly reached up to brace against the headboard. 

Barely a breath later, Ben began to move, alternating between long, hard strokes and simply rolling his hips. Rey didn’t know which she liked better, but both were driving her crazy. Her head tossed on the pillow as Ben fucked her in earnest, his huge hands tightly gripping her hips to hold her still. His voice, low and grating, unlike anything she’d ever heard from him before, suddenly ordered her, “Touch yourself.”

Rey let go of the headboard and let her hands drift down, one going to her breast to pinch and roll the tight peak there, while the other continued downward, reaching her clit and rubbing harshly. As they both drew closer to their release, Ben abandoned his alternating technique and began to simply pound into her, drawing a sharp cry from Rey that turning into a continuous moan. The hand at her breast abandoned the flesh, instead gripping his shoulder tightly as the hand at her clit began to work furiously. 

“Ben, ‘m so close,” she whispered.

Ben let out a short moan as he felt her walls begin to flutter around him. He grit his teeth and tried to hold back, wanting Rey to come first. When she finally let out a sharp cry and began to shudder, Ben let go. He lasted for a handful of thrusts before he slammed as deeply as he could and began to come. 

He collapsed on top of Rey, using his elbows to hold the majority of his weight. After a few moments, he began to move so he didn’t crush her. To his surprise, Rey’s hands stayed his movements, holding him above her. When he stilled, those hands began to trail lightly up and down his back. 

Eventually, though, he had to move. His cock softened and slipped from her body, and Ben didn’t want the condom to leak onto the bed. With a deep groan, he rolled to the side and stood, heading to the bathroom across the hall to dispose of the latex. While there, he wet a washcloth and cleaned up a bit, then wet a clean one for Rey. By the time he got back to the bedroom, she was asleep. With a snort of laughter, Ben crossed the room and nudged her. 

“Hey, I’m gonna clean you up a bit, okay?” he said with another nudge. 

Rey grunted and let her legs fall open, too sleepy to care what happened now. At the touch of the slightly-cold, rough cloth, she jolted but didn’t wake. 

Ben couldn’t lie, he felt a sense of pride at wearing her out so thoroughly. Once he’d cleaned the mess from between her thighs, Ben tossed the rag in the hamper in the corner, then tugged the blankets outs from under Rey. He crawled into bed and drew the covers up, lightly laying his arm across Rey’s stomach. As he fell asleep, he hoped this wouldn’t be a one-time thing. 

**.**

**#######**

**.**

The next morning, Ben woke alone in his bed. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he sat up and ran a hand through his hair. He sighed deeply, knowing it had been too good to be true, then stood and grabbed some boxers from his dresser. As he headed across the hall to get a shower, he heard a noise from the kitchen. 

He stopped to listen, his heart suddenly bursting with some unnamed emotion as he hear Rey’s lilting voice cursing at something. Curious, he followed the noise. 

“Are you trying to break my coffee maker?” he asked dryly, watching as she - he assumed - tried to make coffee. 

Rey jumped and turned around, face guilty. “Actually, I’m trying to fix it. It doesn’t work!” she exclaimed. She was, Ben noticed, wearing his shirt. 

“Sure it does. If you know what you’re doing.” With a smirk at her outraged expression, Ben reached past her to flick a switch on the side of the coffee maker to turn it on. It began percolating immediately, and Rey glared at him. He held his hands up in supplication with a laugh. “I didn’t deliberately buy a coffee maker that would confuse you,” he defended. 

Rey continued to glare until the smell of coffee began to drift her way. Her eyes closed in bliss, and Ben felt his lower abdomen clench in sudden _want._

He cleared his throat and gestured to the bathroom. “I was, uh...gonna get a shower. If you want to join me.”

Rey’s eyes opened wide, her expression one of a deer in headlights. After a moment, though, she seemed to seriously contemplate the idea. But soon her expression dropped and she sighed. “I would love to, Ben, really, but I have class in like half an hour. I was making the coffee for you. I was actually about to come say goodbye when you walked in.”

Ben pushed down the disappointment at the rejection, but he was heartened by her words. “Well,” he said, grabbing her hips and pulling them closer to press against his hardening cock, “next time, maybe.”

Rey swallowed loudly, pupils dilating in need. It took her a moment to clear the fog in her brain. “Uhhh...y-yeah. Next time.”

Ben leaned down to press his lips against hers, freezing when she turned her head slightly so his lips landed on her cheek. He released her hips as though her skin burned him, and he stepped back quickly. “Right. I, uh, I had a great time last night. Thanks for trying with the coffee. Have a good class,” he said in a rush, backing out of the kitchen. 

Before Rey could speak, he had closed the bathroom door behind him, leaving her alone in the kitchen with a sudden dose of regret. Shaking it off - she hadn’t lied, she really did have class - she made her way back to Ben’s bedroom to gather her clothes. 

He still hadn’t emerged by the time she dressed and gathered her things, but maybe it was for the best. With a sigh, Rey exited the front door and slowly closed it behind her. 

**.**

**#######**

**.**

Ben listened for the front door to close before he left the haven of the bathroom. He’d berated himself the whole time he’d been in there, cursing his stupidity. He’d forced intimacy on Rey that she didn’t feel comfortable with; it was no wonder she’d taken off like she had. 

With an internal shake and some hefty resolve, Ben pushed the encounter from the morning away form his mind and prepared for his own day. While he had sworn off early classes, he did have a mid-morning meeting with his advisor which he needed to prepare for. 

And, if their usual routine held, he’d meet Rey for lunch at one. 

The meeting went well, and Ben left the office feeling pretty good about how his academic career was coming. After checking his watch, he headed for the library to get some studying in before heading to the cafeteria. 

When one o’clock rolled around, Ben glanced around the cafeteria with a frown. When he realized that Rey simply wasn’t there, he felt himself deflate as he headed for an empty table. After few minutes of eating alone, Rey slammed a tray down in front of him, gasping for breath. 

“Sorry,” she wheezed. “Class ran late.”

Ben felt immediately lighter, glancing at Rey’s flushed face as she sat down. The fact that she’d shown at all meant that their normal routine hadn’t been compromised; whatever had happened as lovers had apparently not affected their friendship.

As though she read his mind, Rey took a deep breath and burst out, “I’m sorry about this morning!”

Ben blinked in surprise and stayed silent, letting her speak.

“I was feeling kind of awkward and trying to act like no big deal, but the kiss...took me by surprise. It felt too intimate when I was trying to get back into friendship mode, I guess. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

Ben shook his head. “It’s okay. I didn’t mean to push the intimacy on you. I should have left the sex and all with last night and not tried to bring it into today.”

Silence reigned for a few minutes while they ate, before Rey finally launched into a heated spiel about her professor and how the man was determined to ruin her life. 

Ben listened and laughed, all the while feeling thankful for two things:

One, their friendship seemed to have taken no hits despite the rocky start that morning. 

And two, Rey hadn’t called the arrangement off. 


	2. Chapter 2

Weeks passed, and the arrangement continued. Rey still came by just to hang out, but more and more these friendly visits turned into an impromptu visit to Ben’s bed. And the shower. And the kitchen counter. 

Honestly, Rey doubted there was a surface of Ben’s home that hadn’t at least briefly been witness to their sexcapades. 

Currently, they were in the living room, the TV tuned to a movie they were definitely _not_ watching. Ben was seated upright, and Rey was in his lap, facing the TV as she rolled her hips over his. Ben’s hands gripped her hips, sometimes moving to play with her breasts as they languidly chased their release. 

Rey moaned when he reached down to rub at her clit, simultaneously stimulating her nipple. She began to move faster, her need for release hitting like a freight train where before it had been a slow journey. 

Ben seemed to sense her sudden urgency. “Put your feet down,” he ordered, watching as Rey quickly placed her feet flat on the floor. Using one hand to help Rey keep her balance, he braced his feet on the floor and began to slam upward into Rey, loving the gasping little moans that escaped her with every upward movement. 

Those gasping moans became louder as she drew closer and closer to her release. When she finally came, it was with a sharp cry as her whole body tensed, the pulsing walls of her cunt drawing Ben into his own release. 

Panting and suddenly exhausted, Rey collapsed back against Ben’s chest. His arms came up around her, holding her tightly to him as their bodies cooled and calmed. After a few long minutes, Rey huffed a laugh and grinned lazily. 

“We’re going to have to start stashing condoms in every room, I swear.”

Ben snorted, the movement jarring Rey a bit. “We’re going to have to buy more. That was the last one.”

Rey made a face of disappointed. There went her idea to have another bout in the shower. But, she honestly did need a shower, so maybe it was for the best. With that thought in mind, she stretched languidly before standing on slightly-wobbly legs. She hissed as Ben’s softened cock left her body, forever disliking the odd feeling. “I’m going to go shower before I head back to the dorm. I think Rose is getting tired of being woken up in the middle of the night when I come in.”

As he watched her walk naked down the hallway, Ben bit his tongue so hard it nearly bled in order to keep from telling her - begging her - to stay the night. She’d spent a few nights over the past few months, prior to their fuck buddy agreement. Ben wasn’t sure that asking now, with their new dynamic, was the best idea. 

With a heavy sigh, Ben stood and followed her like the lovesick fool that he was. Even if she didn’t spend the night, he could spend a few more minutes with her. And if he went to his knees in the shower to give her one last mind-numbing orgasm to think about on her way home, well. Who could blame him?

**.**

**#######**

**.**

Ben woke late the next morning, and he spent the next fifteen minutes cursing aloud as he scrambled into clothes and shoes and gathered a few essentials for his few classes before running out the door at top speed. 

His long legs ate up the distance to the academics building, where he was only two minutes late to his required humanities course. As he slammed into the only remaining desk, the professor - a tall, austere woman who went by Holdo - flicked a glance in his direction before continuing to lecture. 

By the end of the class, Ben finally felt like he had gotten his head on straight and no longer felt the fuzzy effects of sleeping late and the subsequent panicked trip to class. 

Fortunately, Holdo seemed to be a fairly lenient professor, as she simply waved him over after class and politely asked for him to try to be more prompt for the next class. With profuse apology and a promise to be on time for the next lecture, Ben gathered his things and headed to his next class. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket as he walked, and he pulled it out to see a message from Rey.

_ <Hey rose apparently made a new friend and wants to bring him to lunch. okay?> _

Ben typed out a quick positive response and slid his phone back into his pocket as he entered the door to his math lecture. 

When he finally, blessedly, left the academics building and headed for the cafeteria, he was riding high on the anticipation of seeing Rey. Even the knowledge of having Rose and her new friend join them didn’t dim his spirits. 

No, that only happened when he had finally gotten his food and was drawing closer to the table the other three had claimed. Rose was sitting to the side, looking forlorn, as Rey and the new guy laughed and chatted animatedly. 

With a sinking feeling in his gut for a reason Ben wasn’t entirely sure he could put words to, he approached them and sat down close to Rey. She barely looked up from her conversation with who Ben mentally dubbed _short, blonde, and dorky._

Rose glanced up at him and smiled wanly, but her attention went right back to the other two. Or rather, to the blonde man who was currently chatting up Rey. Ben didn’t even know what they were talking about, only catching vague references to Sanskrit and dead languages. 

Ben didn’t even know Rey was interested in such a topic. 

Finally, Rey dragged her gaze away and met Ben’s eye. He was heartened by the way her face seemed to light up when she saw him, but he deflated once more when she simply introduced her new friend. 

“Ben, this is Beaumont Kin. He just transferred from the Lerct Historical Institute to complete his Masters in history. Beaumont, this is my friend, Ben.”

Beaumont, Ben noticed, barely looked away from Rey during the introduction, But why would he, Ben mused bitterly. He was only her _friend,_ no competition there. 

For the next half-hour, Ben had to sit through being sidelined and barely spoken to, though Rose was in much the same boat. They glanced at each other and, by wordless agreement, both stood and made their goodbyes. Ben glanced behind him as he left, feeling a vice squeeze at his heart when Rey didn’t even look up to say goodbye. 

“Well,” he said quietly to Rose, “that was a super awkward lunch.”

Rose sighed and nodded. “I didn’t think she would like him like _that,”_ she admitted. Her tone implied that Rose herself had had her hopes up for a connection with the history student. 

The two left the building and headed their separate ways with halfhearted goodbyes, both lost in their own forlorn thoughts. 

By the time he had made it home, Ben had mostly pushed the unpleasant interaction away and was able to focus on preparing for his next class, where he was a TA for the English 230 lecture. 

His duties as a TA were enough to distract him from the inexplicable hurt he felt at seeing Rey flirting with another man. But after the class had ended and Ben was headed home once more, he had plenty of time to think.

Sure, they weren’t exclusive, but Ben had truly believed that he would be the only one Rey would be seeing during their arrangement. To be faced with the truth - that Rey was honestly not as invested in their time together - was a blow to Ben’s heart and his pride. 

As he walked up the short pathway to his front door, jealousy and anger were licking at him like flames. The sight of Rey sitting on the single step of his entryway gave him slight pause, but he shook it off and neatly sidestepped her to continue inside. 

He dropped his things on the table and headed straight to his room, stripping as he went. Standing naked in his bedroom as he dug lounge clothes out of his dresser, he heard the creak of the floorboards as Rey stepped inside the room. 

Without turning around, he said curtly, “Not tonight.”

Rey stopped in her tracks, having planned to step up behind Ben and run her hands over every inch of exposed skin. “W-what?” she asked. 

Ben sighed as he pulled on his clothes. “I’m not in the mood tonight. I have a lot of work to do.”

A little hurt, Rey retreated half a step and nodded. “Okay. Can I...stay for a while? I think Rose is upset at me.”

Unable to hold in a snort, Ben shook his head. “Sure. But try to keep the TV down. I’ll be in the dining room studying.”

Rey flinched as Ben brushed past her, unsure why he was being so cold to her. She timidly made her way back down the hallway to the living room, settling on the large couch and drawing a blanket over herself. She tuned the TV to a random movie, lowering the volume enough to hear Ben flipping pages in whatever book he was studying. 

After only ten minutes, the strange atmosphere seemed to seep into Rey, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that Ben was mad at her. With a frown, she stood and made her way to where Ben sat at the dining table. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. Several seconds passed before she finally spoke.

“Are you mad at me?” she asked quietly.

Ben paused, his whole body tensing, before he continued to flip the pages of the book to his left while taking notes. “Why would you think that?” he responded. 

Scowling, Rey straightened and resisted the urge to stomp her foot. “That! You didn’t actually answer my question, just deflected.”

“I’m not mad, Rey.” And it was true; he wasn’t _mad_ at her. Honestly, Ben wasn’t sure _what_ he was feeling besides a burning jealousy that he had no claim to. 

Stepping forward, Rey placed a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “You’re something, though.”

Ben shrugged her hand off and stood, his chair screeching back on the hardwood. “Stop pushing it. I said I wasn’t mad.”

“Why won’t you talk to me?” Rey demanded, the hurt from earlier soaring back to slam into her. 

Ben whirled to face her, his face stormy. “Oh, so now you like talking. Maybe I don’t want to talk!” he yelled. 

Before Rey could question Ben’s sudden flare of temper, he had taken two huge steps and appeared in front of her, crowding her back into the wall and using one hand to guide her face up to meet his savage kiss. 

The other hand gripped her hip tightly, and Rey cried out when he squeezed the flesh there. Using the opportunity, Ben quickly licked into her mouth, the kiss quickly turning into a battle as Rey felt lust slam into her.

When he began to trail down her neck, leaving hickeys along the way, Rey finally gasped out, “Ben, what-?”

Before she could get the whole thought out, Ben had lifted her and pinned her bodily against the wall, his pelvis holding hers in place. Thought fled as his now-free hands began to roam over her body, palming her breasts roughly and reaching up to tug her hair in order to maneuver her head just so. 

Rey moaned when Ben finally reached between them to cup her aching cunt, the inner walls throbbing with the need that had run over her like a bus. She gripped his shoulder with one hand, the other gripping his hair tightly.

The house was soon filled with animalistic sounds as they began to strip each other, grunts and moans and harsh breathing. Ben dropped Rey to her feet for a scant few seconds as he ripped her pants from her legs, dragging her underwear with them. 

Rey wanted to be ashamed of how wet the fabric was, but she couldn’t find it in herself to feel anything but the basest of desire at the _hunger_ with which Ben looked at her. As he knelt at her feet and tossed the soaked underwear and blue jeans to the side, Rey whimpered.

Instead of leaning forward as she thought he might do, Ben stood once more and lifted Rey by the hips to press her against the wall again. With one hand gripping her ass to help lift her, the other lined his cock up with her dripping cunt, barely pausing before shoving himself as deeply inside as he could. 

Rey cried out, her head tipping back to rest against the wall as she tried to breathe through the sudden fullness. There was no pain - no, weeks of sleeping with Ben had her fully acclimated to his size - but it was still quite a stretch for her poor body all at once. 

Ben, though, was too far gone to wait for her to get used to it. He began slamming into her, gripping the doorframe beside her head to help brace for harsher thrusts. Rey began to cry out, but Ben barely heard her. 

He was lost in the anger and jealousy that had eaten at him all day. 

Only when Rey’s sharp nails raked down his back did Ben pause, his gaze flicking to Rey’s face. At the sight of the discomfort there, he did his best to slow down. Rey’s eyes met his, her hand came up to grasp the doorway by Ben’s hand, and her legs tightened around his waist as she rolled her hips into his. 

The hurt, the anger, and the pure heat of the moment seemed to take over, and Rey felt her lip curl in a snarl as Ben’s cock continued to slam into her. When she tossed her head back, he leaned down to sink his teeth none too gently into her neck, leaving a mark she knew would last at least until the next day. In retaliation, she raked her nails down his back once more, harder than the first time. 

Ben cried out and threw his head back as he came, the stacked sensations too much to handle with as far gone as he was. 

Rey continued to roll her hips, chasing the release that wasn’t quite there. Ben quickly reached down and began to rub at her clit as he tried to will himself to stay hard long enough for her to come. Finally, Rey shuddered and moaned as she came, pushing Ben’s hand away as she became too sensitive for the continued stimulation. 

They stayed there for a long time, Ben still pinning Rey to the wall, until Rey finally pushed at Ben’s arm. Her legs were wobbly when they touched the ground, but Rey forced her knees to lock as she gathered her clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. 

As the door closed behind her, Ben ran a hand over his mouth. He hadn’t meant for it to get so out of hand…

He had just pulled his boxers on when Rey exited the bathroom. She was fully clothed, and she didn’t even glance his way as she walked to the living room and grabbed her backpack. 

“Rey…” He called out her name, but she didn’t turn to look at him. 

“I have to go. We’ll… We’ll talk later.” 

And with that, she was gone.

Ben sank into one of the chairs at the table and ran both hands through his hair. _“Fuck.”_

**.**

**#######**

**.**

Rey wasn’t sure what she was feeling as she made her slow way back to the dorms. They hadn’t actually talked about what had Ben in such a weird mood, and now she was heading into another awkward encounter where she didn’t know what she did wrong. 

This was why she’d always tried to stay to herself. After Ben’s god-uncle had adopted her, though, she hadn’t really had that option. Obi-Wan and Leia were very close, and so Rey and Ben had been thrown together time and time again as the years passed. 

Still, social interactions weren’t really Rey’s thing, and she inevitably ended up messing them up. 

As her building came into sight, Rey heaved a sigh and straightened her back. Better to just get it over with. 

Rose was subdued when Rey came in, saying nothing as Rey put her bag away and changed clothes. It was only as they settled in for the night that Rey finally broached the subject. 

“Rose, I think… I think you’re mad at me, and I don’t know why.”

Rose shifted in her bed and sighed. “I’m not _mad_ at you. I’m just...disappointed, I guess. I wanted to introduce you to Beaumont as a _friend.”_

Rey frowned. “Okay? I don’t see what I did wrong.”

“You two were flirting for the entire lunch today. I don’t think you guys even noticed when Ben and I left. Rey, _I_ liked Beau. And I thought he liked me.” The last was said quietly, barely loud enough for Rey to hear.

Eyes widening, Rey bolted upright. “Rose, he does like you! After you two left, that’s all he could talk about! Where did you get the idea that I liked him? I just thought he was interesting. He’s definitely a good match for you.”

Rose was quiet for a few moments before she finally said hesitantly, “Really?”

“Really!” Rey said quickly. “I promise, Rose, I don’t like him like that.”

As the two settled in to sleep, both were relieved that things were back to normal between them. 

Now, Rey though bitterly, if only Ben could be normal.


	3. Chapter 3

After the blow up they had at his house that day, Ben and Rey had given each other a few days of distance. She hadn’t come over to his house, and Ben hadn’t gone to the cafeteria. 

By day four, though, Ben finally broke down and crossed campus to their usual spot in the cafeteria. He was early, and the next twenty minutes passed incredibly slowly for him. Finally, Rey showed up with a plate in hand and sat silently across from him. 

“Hey,” Ben said after a few moments.

Rey glanced up from her food and mumbled a response, but Ben knew that was just how Rey was with food. It was how she interacted after she finished eating that would tell Ben if she was upset. 

To his consternation, he couldn’t tell. She was acting normally, like she always did, but there was something... _off_ about her. 

In all, he left the cafeteria feeling better about their situation. 

When he arrived home that afternoon to find Rey waiting for him, he felt even better. 

They sat in the living room for a while and watched TV, chatting about their day and about the show that was on. Ben nearly jumped out of his skin when Rey placed her hand on his thigh, much like she had that first day. 

Relieved beyond words, Ben reached down and covered her hand with his. He looked down and murmured a soft _Hey_ to get her attention, then covered her lips gently with his own. Ben was determined to have this encounter go much differently than their last. 

When he’d finally kissed her to his satisfaction, leaving her blinking up at him dazedly as he stood, Ben lifted Rey into his arms and carried her to his bedroom. Once there, he laid her down and spent an eternity simply stripping them both of their clothes. 

When they were both naked and nearly shaking with need, Ben draped himself over her and began to tease and tantalize Rey. He kissed her neck and down to her breasts, using everything he’d learned of her body so far to drive her crazy. 

Only when she was thrashing her head and pulling at him did Ben move up her body and kiss her senseless once more, leaning over to the bedside table to grab a condom. 

When he entered her body and sank in to the hilt, Rey clutched at his shoulders and simply held on as Ben began to move. He held her almost tenderly, one hand cradling her head while the other slid under her back to hold her close to his chest. 

As keyed up as they both were, it didn’t take long for them to come, though it was a more subdued orgasm than either were used to in their arrangement. Ben lay atop Rey for a long while after, wanting to keep her close while he could. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the sense that this had been a goodbye. 

As their bodies cooled, Rey eventually shifted and asked Ben to let her up. He watched her walk away, then heard the bathroom door close. With a heartfelt sigh, he collapsed back and let an arm fall over his face, shielding his eyes. He lay there, unashamedly naked, until Rey returned. When she crawled into bed beside him, he glanced over at her. 

Rey wasn’t sure, but she thought maybe they had moved past whatever the other day had been. While this hadn’t been their most spectacular coupling, it had been the most satisfying on an emotional level. When she slipped back into bed after using the bathroom, Ben seemed surprised. She pushed down the instant fear that she’d assumed wrongly and asked with a half smile, “Is this okay?”

Ben was quick to reassure her that it was, then headed to the bathroom to deal with the condom and freshen up. By the time he’d made it back to the bedroom, Rey was fast asleep. With a smile on his face and a warm feeling in his heart, Ben lay back down beside her and drifted off as well. 

**.**

**#######**

**.**

Weeks later, Ben bitterly reflected that perhaps it really had been a goodbye. Rey had only come around a handful of times since then, and they’d practically stopped having sex. Ben was eaten up with the thought of being replaced by Beaumont. It was the only explanation he could think of, but he genuinely hated thinking it. 

Beaumont still came around fairly often, usually accompanied by Rose. Worse than their customary lunches was when Rey proposed a night on the town. Rose was quick to agree, and Beaumont was all smiles when Rey looked to him for an answer. 

When her bright gaze landed on Ben, he hesitated for only a moment. There was no way he was going to miss a night out with Rey, even if he had to watch her with the history nerd. 

But, oh, it was so much worse than Ben imagined. 

They had gone out to eat first at a nice little bistro downtown. Ben had watched Rey’s face light up at the kitschy decor, the “found items” furniture selection, and he had known it was the perfect place for her. He just hated that Beaumont had suggested it. 

After eating, they had gone to a bar that had just opened a few weeks prior. There, the night had devolved further. Two steps into the bar and a booming voice had yelled from across the room, _“Ben Solo!”_

To Ben’s horror, Maz’s Castle did indeed belong to the one and only Maz Kanata - a family friend. He had watched helplessly as the others disappeared while he’d been caught in an impromptu reunion and dressing down for not keeping in better touch with his mother. 

When he’d finally caught up to them, Rose was nowhere to be found and Beaumont was - in Ben’s opinion - way too close to Rey for comfort. Whether the comfort in question was Rey’s or his own was another matter. As he slid into the round booth beside Rey, she glanced at him and smiled. 

“You’re lucky she didn’t recognize you,” he bemoaned. “Now I’m going to get a phonecall from Mom about not becoming a lush while _you_ get off scott-free, just like when we were kids.”

Rey laughed, a sound that lifted his spirits considerably. “You’re such a baby,” she teased. “Just tell her it was my idea.”

“Yeah, right. Then she’ll tell me that I’m a terrible influence on you and that I should have more respect for your tender sensibilities.”

The two dissolved into laughter, leaving Beaumont smiling awkwardly and looking around the bar. 

Rose finally returned, apparently from ordering drinks, and the four settled into comfortable smalltalk. Ben’s ears caught something Rose was saying about Rey’s course-load, and he heard Rey groan. 

“Ugh, it’s been a terrible semester. Why would they make so many co-requisite classes part of the engineering program? It’s not like those are hard enough on their own. I’ve barely had time to sleep lately, I’ve been so busy with quizzes and papers.”

Ben’s heart lifted at her words, finally understanding why she’d been around so little. But her next words took his lifted heart and slammed it to the ground. 

“Thanks so much, Beau, for helping with my Lit paper. I would have failed it for sure if you hadn’t.”

Beau ducked his head and waved her thanks off humbly. “It was nothing! I’ve taken so many Lit courses that I could probably write a paper in my sleep. I’m glad I could help.”

“Still,” Rey persisted. “I would have been stuck in the library for days if you hadn’t shown up.”

Before Beau could respond again, their drinks appeared, carried over by a smiling young woman with her hair in two twisty buns on either side of her head. 

“Here we are! If you need anything else, just wave me down or holler for Kaydel, okay?”

Ben watched her make her way back to the bar, and an idea occurred to him. 

If Rey was truly looking outside their arrangement for another partner, there was no reason Ben couldn’t either. In fact, maybe that was for the best, before either of them got hurt. 

Ben stubbornly ignored the idea that he was already hurt just by the thought of Rey sleeping with Beau. 

For now, though, Ben kept the idea in the back of his mind. Turning back to the group, he saw Rey’s attention on him, her brows furrowed until she realized he was with them once more. 

For the next hour, the group drank their beverages of choice and chatted, until finally Ben called it a night. “Unlike you younglings, I have a class to TA tomorrow. Want me to walk you back, Rey?”

“Um, no I’m good,” she demurred, holding her glass. “I’ve been sticking to soft drinks.”

Ben glanced at Beau, who was studying them both with interest. A hot wash of anger and dread flooded Ben. He nodded shortly. “Fine. See you later.”

As he headed to the bar, intent on getting Kaydel’s number, he never noticed Rey’s longing look staring after him. 

Her attention was brought back to the table when Beaumont asked, “Why don’t you just tell him?”

Rey blinked and looked back at him. “Tell him what?”

Beau rolled his eyes. “That you’re into him.”

Rey blushed and held up both hands, as though that could protect her from his words. “What? I’m not… That’s ridiculous.”

“Oh, really?” With a smirk, he nodded toward the bar. “Then tell me how that makes you feel.”

Rey looked back to see Kaydel writing on a scrap of paper and handing it to Ben, who smiled genuinely and waved as he headed for the door. Rey couldn’t blame Kaydel for the besotted look on her face - anyone who saw Ben Solo smile like that was a goner. 

Clearing her throat, Rey turned back to a grinning Beau and Rose. “Shut up. I’m happy for him, okay?”

Rose rolled her eyes this time, chiming in with, “Rey, you’ve been in love with him since I’ve known you.”

Rey smiled sadly. “Yeah, but I’m still just a kid to him. You heard him earlier, Beau.”

While Beau seriously doubted that, he knew from the look on Rey’s face that changing her mind wouldn’t be easy. So, he simply shrugged and let the matter drop. 

The mood became more subdued, and Rey was quick to say goodnight, claiming to feel under the weather. Rose and Beau watched as she walked away, wishing they could make things better. 

**.**

**#######**

**.**

Ben couldn’t quite regret the impulse to get Kaydel’s number. While it had been done in a fit of pique, she was actually a really nice girl. She was a student at the university as well, in the telecommunications department. 

He was upfront with her, saying he wasn’t up for an emotional relationship and simply wanted a friend he could talk to. Kaydel agreed, telling Ben she’d just gotten out of a relationship herself and just wanted companionship. 

They texted a lot, and Ben began to count Kaydel as one of his close friends. One day, on a whim, he invited her to join their group for lunch. What had started out as just himself and Rey was turning into quite the gathering. 

But when he showed up with Kaydel beside him, Rey’s face nearly sent him to his knees. As she glanced between the two of them, the soft smile that had been on her face slowly disappeared and was replaced by a look of hurt. Ben swore tears began to pool in her eyes, but she looked away too quickly for him to know for sure. 

And sure, he had originally wanted to get back at her with this exact scenario, but he had never wanted to hurt her. 

As quickly as she was able, Rey excused herself and fled the cafeteria. Her stomach, already a roiling mess, made a detour to the bathroom very necessary. 

Rose, who had chased after Rey, saw her duck into the restroom and heard the cubicle door slam seconds before the sounds of retching began to echo. She followed the sounds to the largest stall on the end, and she found Rey leaning over the toilet. 

When Rey turned at the sound of the door locking, Rose saw tears coursing down her cheeks. “Oh, Rey.” Having stopped to wet a few paper towels, she handed these to Rey. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

Rey simply shook her head, dissolving into a fresh bout of tears as she sank to the floor. 

“You’ve been pretty sick lately…” Rose began, unsure if now was the right time to voice her concerns. When Rey didn’t respond, Rose crouched beside her best friend and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s Ben’s, right?”

Rey sobbed harder, nodding her head. 

Rose wrapped her arms around Rey, wishing there was something she could do. Eventually, Rey began to calm down. Rose helped her stand, helped her compose herself, and wrapped her arm around Rey’s back as they left the bathroom. 

They made it to their dorm without incident, and Rose tucked Rey into her bed and sat in the chair at Rey’s desk as she pulled out her phone to text Beau. 

Leaving out the bombshell, she simply told Beau that Rey hadn’t felt well and they were both back at the dorm. Beau wished Rey well and said he would let Ben know.

Rose looked at Rey’s sleeping face, her brows drawn even in sleep, and her heart felt heavy with the knowledge that things were about to get so much harder for Rey.

**.**

**#######**

**.**

Ben was officially worried. It had been nearly two weeks since he’d seen Rey that day at the cafeteria, and now she wasn’t even answering his texts. 

Out of desperation, he even tried to get into their dorm building. It wasn’t co-ed, but he knew for a fact that males went inside all the time. Luck wasn’t on Ben’s side, however, and his pleas of checking on Rey went unheard. 

“Look, buddy, I get that you want to see your girlfriend, but rules are rules. She’s not missed any check-ins, her roommate hasn’t called to report anything. Just accept that she doesn’t want to see you right now. Maybe send her some flowers or her favorite takeout. But you’re definitely not getting up those stairs.”

Ben stalked away, cursing the RAs as he went. The black look on his face seemed to clear the way for him, and he murder-walked the entire way to his off-campus home. 

Digging his phone out of his pocket, he did the one thing he could think of. 

He called his mother. 

Twenty minutes later, the phone was on speaker across the table as Ben cradled his head in his arms, listening to Leia berate him repeatedly about his behaviour toward Rey and how disappointed she was. 

When Leia was interrupted by something on her end of the phone, Ben tried to cut in. “But Mom, that’s the problem. I don’t even know what I did!” Ben could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he imagined Leia glaring at the phone.

After a few tense moments of silence, Leia finally spoke. “Until you figure it out, you’re never going to earn her forgiveness.” A moment later, the line went dead. 

“Well,” Ben said sarcastically, “that went well.”

With heavy feet and a heavy heart, Ben trudged to his room and collapsed face first onto his bed. After setting his alarms for the next morning, he let himself drift into a dreamless sleep. 

The next morning, Ben was woken by a text message. No, a _barrage_ of text messages. When he finally snatched the thing off the side table - seconds before it could fall to the floor from the force of the vibrations - he angrily swiped it open…

Only to moments later thank Rose Tico from one end of the religious spectrum to the other. 

Ben scrambled up and hurried to shower. If he was quick enough, he might just make it in time.

His phone lay unlocked on the sheets, open to his message history with Rose. 

_ <I really hope I’m not making a huge mistake> _ _  
__ <But Rey needs you and she’s being stubborn> _ _  
__ <Don’t ask questions and if you tell her I told you, I’ll deny it> _  
_ <Just be at the student health center at three today> _ _  
< You’re welcome, Solo>_

**.**

**#######**

**.**

“But, Rose, you promised you’d make it,” Rey said sadly as Rose rushed to get ready. Glancing at the clock, she noted distantly that her appointment was only thirty minutes away. 

“I’m sorry, Rey, but my professor demanded that I come in right away. It might be about my term project.”

With a sigh, Rey nodded. “I understand. I hope everything is okay.”

As Rose left their room, she hoped with all her heart that it would all be okay soon. 

Rose hated lying to Rey, but the stubborn woman needed to see that Ben could be there for her. She hadn’t even given him the opportunity, and yet she was accusing him all the same. Ben didn't even _know_ about the baby, for Maker’s sake, so how could he possibly be there for him or her?

No, this was right. It had to be. 

As for Rey, she slowly dragged herself from the bed and tugged on her clothes, frowning when she realized her jeans were already snug. 

“How is that even possible?” she mused to herself. If she was right about the day of conception - the day they’d had sex in the dining room - she was only around a month and a half along. Murmuring an apology to the baby for squishing it and sucking in to button the jeans, Rey tugged on a sweatshirt to hide the ill fit and slid her feet into her worn sneakers. Grabbing her backpack and keys, she headed out the door. 

As she walked across campus to the health center, Rey tried not to feel so down. Rose not being able to come with her wasn’t by her choice, Rey told herself sternly. Her academic future could be on the line. Still, this wasn’t something Rey wanted to go through by herself. 

Almost as if the universe agreed, a familiar voice called out to her. “Rey?”

The girl in question turned to see Beau jogging toward her. “What are you doing on this side of campus?” he asked curiously. 

“I’m heading to the health center,” she explained. While she had been hesitant to let anyone else in on the news, Rose had promised Beau could be trusted. As they were _finally_ dating, Rey felt she could trust Rose’s instinct about him. “Just a confirmation visit, mostly.”

Beau nodded, unsure how to respond. When he realized she was alone, he asked where Rose was. 

“Oh, she had a meeting with her advisor all of a sudden. It’s fine, though. I can do this by myself.”

Based on the hunch of her shoulders and the slight quiver to her bottom lip, Beau doubted she wanted to be alone for this. “I have a break right now. Want me to come with? I’ll wait outside, then we can go for a late lunch.”

Rey began to protest, but the promise of food was like a magic wand being waved. She grudgingly agreed, turning back in her original direction as Beau fell into step beside her. 

Caught up in conversation, Rey almost didn’t see Ben as he stood awkwardly in front of the building she was heading toward. When she did notice him, Rey froze in place like a deer in headlights. 

Beau was still talking, but his words trailed off as he realized Rey was no longer paying attention. He followed her gaze and saw Ben, who had just caught sight of them. He could tell the exact moment Ben noticed him, as his tender smile dropped from his face and a look of murderous rage replaced it. 

Beau didn’t realize he had backed away until he stumbled from the sidewalk to the grass. In the face of such anger, he didn’t think he could be blamed for shying away. 

His shuffling backward didn’t help, though, as Ben covered the distance in a few giant strides. His fist met the side of Beau’s face with a loud _crack,_ and Beau went down like a sack of potatoes. 

Ben watched this in satisfaction until he heard Rey’s scream behind him. He turned to face her anger, but he was shocked to see her wilting in place as her eyes fluttered shut. He darted forward, barely making it in time to save her head from slamming into concrete. Heart suddenly pounding in chest, Ben scooped her into his arms and carried her into the health center, thankful for motion-activated doors. 

Striding to the check in window, his voice shook as he pleaded for help. “Please, she just passed out!”

The receptionist jumped up from her seat and opened the door, quickly guiding Ben to an exam room as she asked for Rey’s name and date of birth to sign her in so they could start a chart.

“Rey Kenobi, born July eighth, two-thousand.”

The receptionist closed the door behind her once Ben had gotten Rey onto the exam table. He stood by the bed clutching her hand until a tall, stern-looking woman entered after a brisk knock. 

“This must be Rey,” she said as she stepped forward and pulled a stethoscope from her pocket. “I’m Doctor Kalonia. What happened?”

Ben flushed as he answered. “I lost my temper and punched a guy outside, in front of her. She screamed at me and then fainted. I caught her, so she didn’t hit her head or anything.”

As the doctor began looking over Rey, a nurse quietly opened the door and laid a chart down on the counter before slipping back outside. 

Dr Kalonia finished checking Rey’s vitals and took a moment to flip through her chart. She made a humming noise and closed the chart, then turned to Ben. “Until she wakes up, we can’t really proceed with her scheduled appointment. Her vitals seem to be fine, and you seem to have saved her from any trauma of a fall so the baby should be fine. Just to make sure, though, I’ll want to get an ultrasound once she wakes up. Please let one of the nurses know when she does.”

Ben watched as the doctor swept from the room nonchalantly, as though she hadn’t just sent his world into a tailspin. Hope and despair warred inside him, and only Rey could determine which won out. He pulled a chair closer to the exam table and once more held Rey’s hand. 

As he waited for her to wake up, Ben prayed as best he knew how. He prayed for Rey to be okay, for the _baby_ to be okay. For the baby to be _his._ The last one made him feel selfish, but Ben was finally willing to admit that he was in love with Rey. While he would never force Rey to be with him just for propriety’s sake because of the baby, he hoped she would give him a chance to be there for them both. 

An excruciatingly long ten minutes passed before Rey began to stir. She shifted on the table and let out a short moan, bringing her free hand up to rub across her forehead. 

“Rey?” Ben prompted softly.

Rey let out another pitiful sound as she tried to open her eyes. “Ben?” she questioned. A moment later, her eyes flew open and she bolted upright on the table. “Ben! What are you doing here?!”

“I was worried about you. I haven’t heard from you in weeks,” he pointed out, trying to keep his tone even. 

Rey scowled at him. “Because you’ve been too busy with your girlfriend.”

Ben frowned. “Kaydel isn’t my girlfriend. And you’re the one who kept blowing me off. I’ve been texting you every day since you stormed out of the cafeteria.”

“What?” Rey wanted to believe him. She really did. “Where’s my phone? My bag?”

Ben whipped his head around but didn’t see either of the objects in question. “Shit, they may be outside. But I don’t want to leave you by yourself…”

“Ben, there’s a grand worth of books in that bag. I’ll be fine, go find it!”

“Let me at least let someone know you’re awake first,” he hedged as he backed toward the door. Poking his head out, he caught the attention of a passing nurse. “Hey, she just woke up but wants me to go find her bag. I didn’t want to just leave her alone though.”

The nurse smiled and said, “That’s fine, I’ll just go in now and check her vitals while you’re gone.”

Ben thanked her and headed for the lobby. As he crossed to the front door, he did a double-take. “Beaumont?”

Beau was indeed sitting in a waiting chair, a bruise already darkening his jaw. In his lap was Rey’s backpack. “After I blacked out for a solid minute - nice punch, by the way - I found this on the ground. Figured she wouldn’t want her books to get stolen.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Ben accepted the bag as Beau handed it over. “Sorry,” he mumbled. A moment later he straightened and looked Beau in the eye. “I’m sorry I punched you. I overreacted. I tend to do that when it comes to Rey.”

Beau grinned, which took Ben by surprise. “I noticed. And since Rey hasn’t seemed to let you in on the news, I’m actually dating Rose. Tell Rey I hope she feels better.”

His jaw hanging open in shock, Ben watched Beau exit the clinic and disappear into the sunshine. “Well, fuck,” Ben murmured to himself. Shaking his head in disbelief, he turned around to go back to Rey. The receptionist let him in, and Rey was still safely where he’d left her, alone in the room. “Beau was in the lobby, said he hopes you feel better. Then he left, I assume to go see his girlfriend.”

Rey blushed at the unamused look Ben leveled at her. “Didn’t I tell you they were dating now?” she asked, her voice hitting a high pitch that Ben knew as a tell for her lies. Rey winced at the pitch and seemed to hunch in on herself. “Okay, I didn’t tell you. I...wanted you to be jealous.”

“Why, Rey? I just punched a guy for no reason because you didn’t tell me the truth.”

Rey’s temper flared and she glared at Ben. “Oh, like you letting me believe Kaydel was your girlfriend?”

“I never said she was, we’ve never gone out together, and I only got her number in the first place to make _you_ jealous!” Ben burst out. He ran a hand through his hair and sank into the chair he’d vacated earlier. “This is just a big mess,” he admitted lowly. 

“What do you mean?” Rey questioned, eyes already burning with unshed tears. 

“I mean, this would have all been so much simpler if we’d been honest from the beginning. I hate fighting with you, and I hate how awkward this has gotten between us.” He sighed deeply and stood, approaching Rey and grasping her hand in his. “Rey Kenobi, I’m in love with you. Accepting your proposal for friends with benefits was selfish and an underhanded way to pretend I was dating you. I want to _actually_ date you, and help you raise this baby as a family, if you’ll let me.”

Rey blamed the sudden flux of hormones in her body for the sudden waterfall of tears down her face, but she knew that was only part of the reason. In truth, she’d been wanting to hear those words from Ben for a long time.”I love you, too,” she confessed. “I’ve been half in love with you since I was a teenager, but the time we spent together here at university cinched it. Of course I want us to be a family, you idiot.” She said the last with a laugh, unsure how Ben could ever doubt that. 

Just as Ben leaned down to kiss her, there was a knock at the door. He swooped in just to get a quick kiss in before Dr Kalonia opened the door once more. 

“Finally awake, I see,” the doctor said as she closed the door behind her. “So, I see from your chart that you wanted to confirm a pregnancy. Now that you’re back with us, we can get a urine sample for that. Once it’s confirmed, I’d like to get an ultrasound just to make sure baby is okay after your fainting episode, okay? Besides that, all of your vitals seemed normal, and you seem very healthy in general. A nurse will be in shortly to show you to the restroom, and the test will only take a few minutes past that.”

She swept out once more, and Ben leaned down to kiss her again before another interruption. 

“We’ll finish talking later, okay?” he said softly.

Rey nodded, feeling flutters in her belly that had nothing to do with the baby.

Ben stood by the exam table, letting Rey lean on him, until the nurse came in and asked Rey to follow her. Ben waited in the room until Rey returned, and they sat in silence for the test to come back. 

The nurse returned a few minutes later with a smile and informed them that the test was positive. Ben hugged Rey gently as his heart threatened to burst from the emotion. When the nurse asked Rey to follow her once more for the ultrasound, Rey asked if Ben could come, too.

“He’s the father,” she explained with a smile. “I’d like him to be there.”

Nodding in understanding, the nurse allowed him to trail along as she led them to the other side of the clinic. There, a technologist was waiting and instructed Rey to change into a gown. 

“Unfortunately this early on, the only way to really see anything is going to be a transvaginal exam, which means the probe is going to have to be inserted. Are you still okay with your friend being in here?”

Rey assured the tech it was fine and hurried to change into the provided gown. Once she was on the bed and everything was ready, the tech warned her of the cold jelly and the pressure she was about to feel. 

The discomfort was nothing compared to the sound of swishing that Rey knew to be the heartbeat of her baby. She gripped Ben’s hand tightly and blinked the sudden tears away. 

As the tech maneuvered the probe and took images on the machine, Rey watched every flicker and movement on the screen. 

She had no clue what she was looking at, but Rey felt a sense of awe all the same. 

After about ten minutes, the tech removed the probe and allowed Rey to get dressed. “I’ll send these over to Dr Kalonia and she’ll be in with you soon. Let me walk you back to your room.”

Rey and Ben waited once more, arms wrapped around each other as Ben stood between Rey’s knees at the table’s edge. “Did you hear it?” she whispered reverently.

Ben had to swallow past the emotion as he nodded. “Yeah, I heard it,” he said softly. “You’re amazing,” he told her. 

Rey shook her head and just held Ben tighter. When the doctor finally returned, She reluctantly pulled away from him and gave Dr Kalonia her full attention. 

“Everything looks normal,” the woman said with a reassuring smile. “Gestational age puts you at about seven weeks. Heartbeats were strong, nothing looks to be out of order.”

Ben stiffened beside her. “I’m sorry, did you say heart _beats?_ As in multiple?”

Rey gasped, her hand moving to cover her mouth. 

Dr Kalonia looked between them and said slowly, “Yes, multiple. You’re having twins.”


	4. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will most probably expand on this at a later date!

Rey would have never thought that a year could change so much. 

After finding out they were having  _ two  _ babies, Ben had nearly fainted. When he’d regained his head, Rey swore his ego grew by leaps and bounds. As soon as they’d returned to his house, he’d called his parents to inform them. Leia had cried, and Han had said  _ That’s my boy _ at least four times. 

Rey’s call to her dad was no less exciting, though he demanded a face-to-face chat with Ben that weekend. In all, he had been happy about his impending role of grandpa. 

Ben had begun searching for another house, a bigger one for the four of them. He’d found the perfect one a littler further from the campus but closer to their parents’ homes. With the money from a trust fund his grandparents had left him, Ben had bought the house outright, though he had waited to tell Rey until after they’d moved in. 

While she had initially wanted to withdraw from her courses, Ben had been adamant that she at least finish the semester. Then he’d convinced her to do one more, so she’d have less left when she returned to classes. 

In the end, with Ben’s help and goading, Rey hadn’t missed any of her classes and had actually graduated with honors just a few weeks before going into labor. She’d looked comical walking across the stage with her graduation gown - the largest they’d had on hand - stretched tight across her belly. But Ben and the rest of her friends and family had cheered loudly from the stands, and Rey had felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment at what she’d achieved. 

Rose and Beau had become a tight knit couple, and Rey was surprised that it took nearly the whole year for Beau to propose to Rose, who had immediately accepted. They were waiting until Rey had recovered fully from having the twins to have their wedding, as Rose wanted Rey to be her maid of honor. 

The pregnancy had, surprisingly, not been hard on Rey. With Ben to dote on her and help her with whatever she needed, Rey hadn’t felt a lot of strain. She had, however, decided around five months or so, that sex was simply no longer possible. Ben had taken great delight in showing her that there were other ways to find her satisfaction. 

Obi-Wan had tried to insist that the two of them get married, but Rey had resisted the demand, telling her dad that she wanted to marry Ben because it was  _ their _ idea, not because she’d fallen pregnant. 

Ben hadn’t waited long to quietly ask her one night, as they lay in bed with her growing belly under their intertwined hands. “You’re going to marry me though, right?”

Rey had laughed and kissed him, assuring him that she’d wanted nothing else since she was seven years old and they’d played house for the first time. 

Now, they were playing house for real. With two babies, a full-time course-load, a part-time job, and Rose’s wedding on the horizon, the two of them had their hands full. 

And the twins were indeed a handful. A boy, Arich, and a girl, Amee, they kept their parents on their toes. Deciding that the middle of the night was the perfect time to be born, Rey had gone into labor at four in the morning and had barely made it to the hospital in time. Two months old now, they were developing personalities that promised to be mischievous.

But as Rey turned the lights off in their nursery and gently closed the door, she knew that she wouldn’t want it any other way. 

She crawled into bed beside Ben and slid closer, into his waiting arms, and closed her eyes. The choices they’d made along the way may have caused some confusion and chaos, but Rey knew in her heart that she was exactly where she was meant to be. 


End file.
